Dual wheel vehicle



March 19, 1940. c. s. ASH

DUAL WHEEL VEHICLE Filed May 26, 1937 I I INVENTOR CWfl/Tlff I /25// 3 ATTORNEYS P.t...1.dM...19,-194 2,194,199

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUAL WHEEL VEHICLE Charles s. Ash, Milford, Mich. Application May 26, 1937, Serial No. 144,818

slciaims. (01. 280-124) 1 The present invention relates to new and usebetween the wheels and the body through the. ful improvements in dual wheeled road vehicles" springs being such that the axes of the sets of and more particularly to heavy duty dual wheeled dual wheels are not held parallel to each other, automotive or trailer vehicles in which the wheels although the wheels of each set may be so held.

5 are mounted so as to always remain perpendicu- Preferably, there are provided two sets of dual 5 lar to the road surface. wheels, mounted one in front of the other, by Objects and advantages of the invention will means of pairs of cantilever springs, and springs be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will being centrally attached to the body or chassis be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by pracby means of a trunnion, while the ends of the tice with the invention, the same being realized springs are attached to a disc-like structure. be 10 and attained by means of the instrumentalities tween the dual wheels of each set so that the two and combinations pointed out in the appended sets of alined dual wheels are held at a substanclaims. tially constant distance from each other. As em- The invention consists in the novel parts, conbodied, the'invention eliminates the-necessity of 18 structions, arrangements, combinations and imemploying an axle extending acrossthe body or provements herein shown and described. chassisof the vehicle, and thereby the-body or The accompanying drawing, referred to herein chassis may be lowered with respect to the road, and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one emand a great number of parts, heretofore necesbodiment of the invention, and together with the sary in connection with automatic cambering of description, serve to explain the principles of the dual wheels are eliminated, thereby rendering the 20 invention. structure, simpler, cheaper to construct, and more Of the drawing: economical in service. Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an It will be understood that the foregoing genillustrative embodiment of the present invention eral description and the following detailed dewith certain parts broken away to show the inscription as well are exemplary and explanatory 25 terior construction; of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on Referring now in detailto the illustrative emthe line 2-2 of Figure 1;- and bodiment of the present invention as shown by Figure 3 is a plan viewof the device shown in the accompanying drawing there is shown only Figure 1, with one pair of dual wheels distorted a small portion of one side of the vehicle, it be- 30 from it's normal position so as to remain perpening understood that the other wheels necessary dicular to the road. or desired may be mounted in a similar or other The present invention has for its object the manner. The chassis I!) may be of any'convenprovision of a novel and improved dual wheel tional construction, and is adapted to be supmechanism particularly adapted for use in conported on the road by means of two or more sets 3 neetion with heavy duty vehicles, and in which of wheeled structures, each wheeled structure the dual wheels are'adapted always to remain comprising two sets of dual wheels 82. Each of perpendicular to the road surface at their points the dual wheels comprises two wheels supported of contact therewith. A further object of the in axial alinement, while the two sets are spaced 4G invention is the provision of an improved autoone in front of the other on one side of the 40 matic cambering, dual wheeled structure which vehicle and a similar arrangement may be prois simpler and necessitates the use of fewer parts vided on the other side of the vehicle.

than has heretofore been necessary. Still an- The dual wheels l2 are rotatably mounted for other object of the invention is the provision of independent rotation on spindles M by means of a dual wheeled vehicle in which springs provide anti-friction bearings l6, and these spindles pro- 45 for the support of the body and load on the wheels ject substantially horizontally from opposite sides 1 and at the same time permit the axes of the dual of a disc-"like web l8 which carries the brake wheels to move out of parallelism with each other. mechanism and forms the brake backing plate As embodied, there are provided a plurality of on which the brake shoes 20 and actuating mechsets of dual wheels, which wheels are preferably anism aresupported. A cable or brake hose 2| 50 independently rotatable with respect to each may be provided for transmitting the actuating other, and these wheels support the body by force. These brake shoes are adapted to bear means of cantilever springs which are mounted against the brake drums 22 in the usual manner, on the body and are attached to the'dual wheels and as the brake structure may be of conventional between the wheels of each set, the connection form, it is not shown in detail. The peripheral 55 edge of the disc-like Web l 8 is preferably rimmed, as at 2 3, so as to provide a substantial closure and prevents easy access of dirt to the brake mechanism.

The spring suspension of the vehicle comprises a pair of cantilever spring assemblies 2G, each comprising a plurality of leaves, and these are secured together and to the chassis by means of the pivoted spring seat 28, positioned centrally of the leaves, the leaves being held thereto by means of the U-bolts 3B. The spring seats 28 are journalled on a laterally projecting trunnion 32 extending from the side rails of the chassis it] a sufficient distance to allow the wheels E2 to clear the chassis iii.

The spring suspension is attached to the wheels through the spring leaf ends and the disc-like webs, and as embodied, the longest leaf 34 of each spring assembly is rolled to provide an eye through which passes a shackle-bolt 36 securely fastened between the lugs 38 projecting radially from and formed integrally with the rim of the disc-like web It. Thus there is formed a triangle having resilient sides giving the set of dual wheels 8. definite normal position, but allowing them to yield under road irregularities, and this yielding may be by twisting out of the usual and conventional vertical plane of wheel movement. Thus, and as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, the wheels are free to move in pairs out of a plane parallel to the planes of the other sets of wheels and thereby each set of dual wheels may remain perpendicular to the road at all times. The sets of dual wheels are also independently resiliently movable with respect to the road, and road shocks are minimized due also to the fact that one set of wheels in passing over a road irregularity lifts the chassis only half that distance through which the wheels are raised. Also, in remaining perpendicular to the road, there is no free pivoting of the wheel which must be eventually positively limited on any excessive angular movement, but rather the wheels are always restrained to return to a normal parallel position, and thus in going over irregular ground, the set of dual wheels does not have any definite and positive limit to its automatic cambering action.

The servicing of brakes, and the changing of tires is easily accomplished on a heavy duty vehicle of the illustrative type, as the wheels are individually accessible and removable, and in removing a wheel, the other wheels tend to remain in an essentially vertical position. Thus, lifting of the relatively heavy wheels and tires through large distances is avoided.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the'specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom arearoo within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is:

1. A dual Wheeled structure for road vehicles inclu ing in combination a vehicle frame, a trunnion mounted thereon, a leaf spring centrally and pivotally mounted on the trunnion, two pairs of dual wheels, one pair at each end of the spring, said spring being positioned between the wheels of each dual set, a pair of members on which the pairs of wheels are rotatably mounted, means for connecting the spring to the members with one member at each end of the spring, the pivotal axis of the spring at its connection with each respective member and the axis of the mounting of the wheels thereon being substantially parallel at all times whereby angular movement of the wheels is allowed when the spring is twisted.

2. A dual wheeled structure for road vehicles including in combination a vehicle frame, a trunnion mounted thereon, a leaf spring centrally and pivotally mounted on the t unnion, two pairs of dual wheels, members on which the pairs of dual wheels are independently rotatably mounted, one member at each end of the spring and positioned between adjacent dual wheels whereby the wheels may move vertically and remain perpendicular to the road, said members being directly pivotally mounted on the spring ends, the axis of the pivotal mounting of the spring on each respective member and the axis of the rotatable mounting of the wheels thereon being substantially parallel at all times and braking means carried by said members and cooperating with all of said wheels.

3. A dual wheeled structure for road vehicles including in combination a vehicle frame, a dual wheeled assembly comprising a resilient member connected to the frame, a pair of rotatable, ax-

ially aligned, spaced apart dual wheels pivotally wheels with the resilient member being substantially parallel .at all times, whereby angular movement of the wheels out of the vertical plane will be transmitted to the resilient member and distort the same, said resilient member also serving to restrain such angular movement of the wheels, and adapted to restore the wheels to a vertical position.

CHARLES S. ASH. 

